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Colon Cancer

Colon Cancer Physician Specialties

Doctor specialties that may be involved in the diagnosis, treatment or ongoing care of Colon Cancer.

Colorectal Surgeons (Proctologists)	Genetics Specialist Physicians	Radiation Oncologists
Gastroenterologists	Medical Oncologists	Surgical Oncologists
General Surgeons	Pathologists

State Pages

State-specific information and physicians specializing in the care of Colon Cancer.

Specialty Definitions

Radiation Oncologists

A radiologist who deals with the therapeutic applications of radiant energy and its modifiers and the study and management of disease, especially malignant tumors.

Medical Oncologists

An internist who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of all types of cancer and other benign and malignant tumors. This specialist decides on and administers chemotherapy for malignancy, as well as consulting with surgeons and radiotherapists on other treatments for cancer.

Gastroenterologists

An internist who specializes in diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the digestive organs including the stomach, bowels, liver and gallbladder. This specialist treats conditions such as abdominal pain, ulcers, diarrhea, cancer, and jaundice and performs complex diagnostic and therapeutic procedures using endoscopes to see internal organs.

Colorectal Surgeons (Proctologists)

A colon and rectal surgeon is trained to diagnose and treat various diseases of the intestinal tract, colon, rectum, anal canal, and perianal area by medical and surgical means. The specialist also deals with organs and tissues (such as the liver, urinary, and female reproductive system) involved in primary intestinal disease.

Colon and rectal surgeons have the expertise to diagnose and often manage anorectal conditions such as hemorrhoids, fissures (painful tears in the anal lining), abscesses and fistulae (infections located around the anus and rectum) in the office setting. They also treat problems of the intestine and colon, and perform endoscopic procedures to evaluate and treat problems such as cancer, polyps (precancerous growths), and inflammatory conditions. No sub Specialties.

General Surgeons

A surgeon manages a broad spectrum of surgical conditions affecting almost any area of the body. The surgeon established the diagnosis and provides the preoperative, operative, and postoperative care to surgical patients and is usually responsible for the comprehensive management of the trauma victim and the critically ill surgical patient.

The surgeon uses a variety of diagnostic techniques, including endoscopy, for observing internal structures, and may use specialized instruments during operative procedures. A general surgeon is expected to be familiar with the salient features of other surgical specialties in order to recognize problems in those areas and to know when to refer a patient to another specialist.

Pediatric Surgery

A surgeon with expertise in the management of surgical conditions in premature and newborn infants, children and adolescents.

Surgery of the Hand

A surgeon with expertise in the investigation, preservation, and restoration by medical, surgical, and rehabilitative means, of all structures of the upper extremity directly affecting the form and function of the hand and wrist.

Surgical Critical Care

A surgeon with expertise in the management of the critically ill and postoperative patient, particularly the trauma victim, who specializes in critical care medicine diagnoses, treats and supports patients with multiple organ dysfunction. This specialist may have administrative responsibilities for intensive care units and may also facilitate and coordinate patient care among the primary physician, the critical care staff, and other specialists.

Vascular Surgery

A surgeon with expertise in the management of surgical disorders of the blood vessels, excluding the intercranial vessels or the heart.

Pathologists

A pathologist deals with the causes and nature of disease and contributes to diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment through knowledge gained by the laboratory application of the biologic, chemical, and physical sciences.; A pathologist uses information gathered from the microscopic examination of tissue specimens, cells, and body fluids, and from clinical laboratory tests on body fluids and secretions for the diagnosis, exclusion, and monitoring of disease.
Blood Banking/Transfusion Med: A physician who specializes in blood banking/transfusion medicine is responsible for the maintenance of an adequate blood supply, blood donor and patient-recipient safety, and appropriate blood utilization. Pretransfusion compatibility testing and antibody testing assure that blood transfusions, when indicated, are as safe as possible. This physician directs the preparation and safe use of specially prepared blood components, including red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, and plasma constituents.
Chemical Pathology: A chemical pathologist has expertise in the biochemistry of the human body as it applies to the understanding of the cause and progress of disease. This physician functions as a clinical consultant in the diagnosis and treatment of human disease. Chemical pathology entails the appliction of biochemical data to the detection, confirmation, or monitoring of disease.
Cytopathology: A cytopathologist is an anatomic pathologist trained in the diagnosis of human disease by means of the study of cells obtained from body secretions and fluids, by scraping, washing, or sponging the surface of a lesion, or by the aspiration of a tumor mass or body organ with a fine needle. A major aspect of a cytopathologist's practice is the interpretation of Papanicolaou-stained smears of cells from the female reproductive systems, the "Pap" test. However, the cytopathologist's expertise is applied to the diagnosis of cells from all systems and areas of the body. He/she is a consultant to all medical specialists.
Dermatopathology: A dermatopathologist is expert in diagnosing and monitoring diseases of the skin including infectious, immunologic, degenerative, and neoplastic diseases. This entails the examination and interpretation of specially prepared tissue sections, cellular scrapings, and smears of skin lesions by means of light microscopy, electron microscopy, and fluorescence microscopy.
Forensic Pathology: A forensic pathologist is expert in investigating and evaluating cases of sudden, unexpected, suspicious, and violent death as well as other specific classes of death defined by law. The forensic pathologist serves the public as coroner or medical examiner, or by performing medicolegal autopsies for such officials.
Hematology: A physician who is expert in diseases that affect blood cells, blood clotting mechanisms, bone marrow, and lymph nodes. He/she has the knowledge and technical skills essential for the laboratory diagnosis of anemias, leukemias, lymphomas, bleeding disorders, and blood clotting disorders.
Medical Microbiology: A physician who is expert in the isolation and identification of microbial agents that cause infectious disease. Viruses, bacteria, and fungi, as well as parasites are identified and, where possible, tested for susceptibility to appropriate antimicrobial agents.
Molecular Genetic Pathology: A molecular genetic pathologist is expert in the principles, theory, and technologies of molecular biology and molecular genetics. This expertise is used to make or confirm diagnoses of Mendelian genetic disorders, disorders of human development, infectious diseases and malignancies, and to assess the natural history of those disorders. A molecular genetic pathologist provides information about gene structure, function, and alteration and applies laboratory techniques for diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis for individuals with related disorders.
Neuropathology: A neuropathologist is expert in the diagnosis of diseases of the nervous system and skeletal muscles and functions as a consultant primarily to neurologists and neurosurgeons. The neuropathologist is knowledgeable in the infirmities of humans as they affect the nervous and neuromuscular systems, be they degenerative, infectious, metabolic, immunologic, neoplastic, vascular, or physical in nature.
Pediatric Pathology: A pediatric pathologist is expert in the laboratory diagnosis of diseases that occur during fetal growth, infancy, and child development. The practice requires a strong foundation in general pathology and substantial understanding of normal growth and development, along with extensive knowledge of pediatric medicine.